In a candid radio interview with the BBC, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she did not think President Joe Biden should have dropped out of the election until after his “disastrous” debate against former President Donald Trump.

"Once that debate happened, he could not recover, and he did the right thing," said Clinton, who was promoting her new book, “Something Lost, Something Gained.”

The former senator and first lady applauded Biden, whom she served alongside in the Senate and in the Obama administration, for withdrawing from the race, opening the door for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

“It was a selfless, patriotic act for him to step down and then endorse his vice president,” she said.

Clinton said in the interview that aired Thursday that she spent time with Biden a week before the debate, “and I saw no reason why he should have stepped down.”

The former secretary of state also said she thinks “the future of democracy is at stake” in next month’s election.

She added, “I think the election outcome in the United States will have repercussions far beyond our borders. It will determine whether or not we continue supporting Ukraine, whether we can get some kind of workable resolution in the Middle East and so much else.”

Clinton acknowledged that some voters support former President Donald Trump because they feel “overlooked” and “unseen” and believe the “economy doesn’t work for them.”

“They just want change, and they are willing to risk the most dramatic kind of change, although, frankly, he [Trump] didn't help them very much the first time, so why they think he would this time is sort of a question mark,” said Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016.

Clinton praised the Biden administration for creating jobs and taming inflation. But she added that Democrats have not been the “most effective messengers about what we see and what we're trying to do to address — these real and legitimate concerns that people have.” Meanwhile, Clinton said, Democrats “cannot seem to break through the kind of barrage of falsehoods that he [Trump] spews every single day.”

In response, Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement to Spectrum News: “President Trump’s economic policies led to record job growth, more Americans realizing their dreams, and a prosperous economy that worked for all people. Hillary is right about one thing—Americans have been overlooked by the Democrats and Kamala Harris whose dangerously liberal policies have led to record inflation and misery. In November, Americans will turn the page on Kamala Harris by electing President Trump—a candidate they can trust put hardworking families first and bring back a booming economy.” 

As for Harris, Clinton said the vice president “has performed flawlessly” since entering the race in July. 

“It's going to be a close race,” Clinton said. “But on the merits, she has earned the vote of Americans. And I think she will win because she has performed so successfully."